Effect of PC/ABS blend in thermoplastic modification of DGEBA matrix for CF/EP composite in aerospace applications

Thermoplastic blend effect in modifying DGEBA matrix is found to be effective in improving the mechanical as well as the micro-crack resistance properties of the prepared composites. The thermoplastic content is selected to be 1.5 wt% of DGEBA resin for modification via melt mixing. The modified epoxy along with 2x2 twill weave carbon fiber was used to develop specimens for testing via vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). The blend effect of poly(acrylonitrile-butadienestyrene) (ABS) in polycarbonate (PC) shows enhancement in impact resistance (maximum 20% increase) of DGEBA based carbon fiber (CF) composites compared to the unmodified system under room conditions. The SEM images reveal high levels of heterogeneity for the modified system with lesser levels of deeper cracks and delamination, making it more stable under room conditions. The laser scanning optical profilometry reveals minimal micro-cracks formed on the modified system under 150x magnification, making it more effective for aerospace applications.